Wedding Ring Quilt-DONE

I  was down to finishing the wedding ring quilt.  Just a few more things.  First I needed to bind it.

I had cut the binding strips and sewed them all together months ago.  You have to measure all around the border of the quilt and then piece together about 2 feet more than that.  That gives you a bit of room to sew the ends together.  Fold the fabric in half and then iron.

 

I placed the quilt on a long table and, using a cutting mat and cutting wheel, I cut all the rough bits off and squared up the corners. 

 

I placed one end of the pieced, folded and ironed binding strip in the middle of one side of the quilt and started stitching along the edge, cut edges together.  Leave about an eight inch tail.  I used the quarter inch foot to make sure I was stitching 1/4 inch from the edge of the quilt.

 

In order to miter the corners, stop stitching 1/4 inch from any corner.  Remove the quilt and fold the binding up at a 90 degree angle and then back down at 90 degrees, so that there is a fold on the corner. 

 

Stitch down the edge, once again placing the cut edge of the binding along the cut edge of the quilt.  Continue until you are about 1 foot from the place where you started.

 

Now it gets complicated and to be honest I had to get out the book and check again.  I am sure there are a hundred YouTube videos to help you.  You open the binding and fold one up 90 degrees and one down 90 degrees.  Do this so the edges are touching and then use you fingernail to crease the folds.

 

Place the right sides together and sew along the crease.  Open it up to make sure you did it right and then cut off the excess fabric leaving 1/4 inch margins.  It should be just the right length to finish sewing to your quilt.  So do that.

 

Now comes the hand sewing part.  I ironed the biding, folding it up and over, away from the body of the quilt.  Then you hand sew it to the back of the quilt.  I used a blind hem stitch.  But it is like hemming all of the band members uniforms, so pace yourself.  When you get to the corners, miter the edges using your fingers to fold the edges and have the corners meet.

 

You are almost done!!! Well, I was almost done.  I lay the quilt on the very clean dining table and started snipping loose threads.  Both sides.  This is discouraging as you then notice any mistakes you ignored earlier in the process.  But this is a hand made quilt and these things happen. 

 

I used sticky tape rollers all over both sides to get up any stray threads or fibers.  A lot of sticky tape.

 

Then I ironed it.

Next I called my Aunt Suzy and said I wanted to come for a visit.  We arranged a time and I arranged a dog sitter and off we went.

 

I sure hope she likes it. 

 


I think she did!  I don't think she will take this one to the beach and on picnics.